Ducati's Vlaanderen Out of Czech MXGP After Warmup Crash; Mancini Takes 12th in MX2
A warmup crash forced Ducati's Calvin Vlaanderen out of the Czech Republic MXGP, while substitute Simone Mancini took 12th overall in MX2.
- 13th
- 16th
- 11th and 13th
- 12th
What Happened
At the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic, round 13 of the FIM Motocross World Championship, Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team rider Calvin Vlaanderen was forced to withdraw after crashing during Sunday's warmup. The Dutch rider had finished 16th in Saturday's qualifying race after an earlier crash and was determined to bounce back in the two heats, but the warmup accident ended his day. He is scheduled to return next weekend at the Grand Prix of Flanders in Lommel, where he will be reunited with teammate Andrea Bonacorsi. In MX2, substitute rider Simone Mancini, standing in for the injured Ferruccio Zanchi on the Desmo250 MX, came close to a top-ten finish for the Beddini Racing Ducati Factory MX2 Team.
“It wasn't the weekend I was hoping for this GP, on one of my favorite tracks. On Saturday I had a good feeling and everything seemed to be going well. My riding was good in qualifying, even though I had a small crash that cost me a few positions, but I was confident for Sunday. Unfortunately this morning, during the warm-up, I crashed, hit my head, and that was the end of the day. Now I'll try to ”
Mancini finished the first race in 11th place after a long battle with the riders ahead. In the second race he started perfectly and held sixth place for the opening laps before losing positions, finishing 13th. That gave him 12th place overall for the Grand Prix. Accustomed to the shorter EMX250 European Championship heats held between Saturday and Sunday, Mancini suffered a physical decline in the final part of the second race.
“It was a positive weekend for me, and I'm grateful to have had this opportunity to compete with the world championship riders. Here in Loket, I felt comfortable with the track right from free practice and had the speed to stay in the top 10. Until midway through the second heat, everything was going well, but unfortunately, towards the end, I suffered a physical decline and lost positions, finishi”
Previously from Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
Ducati arrived at the Czech Republic Grand Prix race day after a mixed qualifying session. In that session, Calvin Vlaanderen finished 16th after a crash, and substitute rider Simone Mancini placed 12th in MX2.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.'s official releases.
Why this matters
Motocross moves fast: after Saturday's crash-marred qualifying, Calvin Vlaanderen was confident for Sunday, but a warmup crash knocked him out of the races entirely. The weekend also showed how teams plug gaps when regular riders are injured — substitute Simone Mancini stepped in for Ferruccio Zanchi and nearly finished in the top ten in MX2. For beginners, it illustrates that a motocross Grand Prix spans several sessions, and one crash can change everyth…
Terms in This Story
- MXGP
- The premier class of the FIM Motocross World Championship, featuring larger-displacement motorcycles.
- MX2
- A support class in the FIM Motocross World Championship with smaller-displacement motorcycles, often a stepping stone to MXGP.
- qualifying race
- A short race held the day before the main races to determine starting positions.
- warmup
- A brief practice session held on race day before the main races to let riders prepare.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.